The Masquerade
by Toaster Rape
Summary: How did Sosuke Aizen become who he is? Was he born a sociopath, or was it a series of events that broke him permanently? What was he like as a boy, and how did he become a shinigami? This is how the monster came to be...
1. Chapter 1: Reflection

Ah, how the stars sparkled. The moon shone among them, high in the sky, shedding her light across the barren white deserts. The wind sung songs across the expanses of nothing. This was where he belonged. This was true beauty.

"Gin," He asked, "How do you make a woman fall in love with you?"  
The fox-like man smiled lazily, knowing the answer to this question. "Ya act like ya love her first…Aizen-taicho."

"That is correct." He turned away from the window, looking to him, and for a moment the moon flashed in his deep brown eyes. "You learn well."

"Thank ya," He replied, with the ever-present grin, though any idiot would have gotten it by now. Aizen posed the question more often than he realized, placing a great importance on the emotions of others. Emotions, he said-

"-are the best way to manipulate." Gin recited with him. He wondered for not the first time whether his captain was overtired. "Don't ya think ya oughta take it easy fer a while? Ya've been workin pretty hard. Me 'n Tousen got this."  
Aizen smiled warmly, the ironic honesty of it lighting the room. "Thank you," he said, "Perhaps I will take that rest after all. I'm quite tired." He inclined his head slightly and took his leave with a swish of his robes.

"…Still hasn't forgotten her, has he?" Tousen ventured, his deep voice little more than a quiet drawl with the revelation. He couldn't figure out how he knew when Aizen was thinking about that woman. Perhaps it was in the way that he spoke, or rather, the way he stayed silent, that revealed it.

"She ain't one to be forgotten, Tousen-taicho." Gin grinned, not losing any of the teasing edge to his voice. He too, remembered that woman. He thought about her sometimes as well, though more in passing than anything else. She was a person that shone radiantly in the darkness. She shone so bright that years and years later, people were still basking in her glow. She was a woman that was truly unforgettable.

Aizen's footsteps echoed through the empty hall, as careful and quiet as they had always been. As he walked, he allowed his gaze to wander. The doors, pillars, arches…they were all the same. That was how he liked it. His citadel was intimidating and malicious in its simplicity. It was ironic that he chose this place as his stronghold. Simplicity and repetition were refreshing sometimes, but as a whole he liked change. True, dynamic, unpredictability. It kept things interesting. It kept things new. It kept things exciting. It kept him from dwelling in the past he only wished to visit occasionally.  
He came soon to his room. That, too, was simple black and white. His bed was big enough for him and three other people, something he utilized occasionally. After walking in, he closed the door quietly behind him. He didn't turn around right away, and instead stared at the blankness of the door, trying to clear his mind.

"You've been thinking about me again," The voice, like a cool glass of water after a summer of dehydration, entered though his back and melded into his body, becoming one with his bones, his blood, his core. "Sosuke."

He closed his eyes and relished the feeling for a moment before turning and grinning at the figure sitting cross-legged on his bed. His eyes flicked up and down her perfect body, taking in the smoothness and even tone, the muscles just barely peeking out from under her bare curves. "Rena. How lovely to see you." He turned and closed the distance between them slowly, lazily, as a cat advances on already crippled prey. He looked down at her, the clear aqua-green eyes, the light brown hair that fell in waves down her back. The curves of her face that intersected perfectly. He leaned down and kissed her soft, perfect lips. "Mm," He said. "You've gotten colder."  
"Well," She said, "With this outfit you have me wear…" She gestured to the arrancar-themed tube top that left nothing up to the imagination. "…Who could keep warm?"  
"You have me to keep you warm," Aizen said with a smirk, and moved forward, pinning her beneath him. "You'll never have to worry about being cold." He leaned forward to kiss her once more.

Rena put a finger on his lips, and with that simple motion, managed to keep him from advancing further. "Ah-ah-ah." She chided gently. "You came in here to sleep, remember?" And just like that, she was gone.

Aizen straightened himself silently. It was true, he came in here to rest. Shrugging, he removed his robes and climbed into his bed, sleep overtaking him.


	2. Chapter 2: The Angels

Rukongai was a rather miserable place. Where Sosuke 'lived' it rained more often than not, and no one trusted anyone else. The buildings were decrepit, and the streets were lined with people filled with hate. Diseases ran rampant, and there were only two doctors that ever dared to visit. Even they were being driven away by the sheer amount of violence that littered the streets.

Chaos. Violence. Destruction. This was district 66, where Sosuke Aizen lived.

Most children got by stealing. It was mostly water they took, though they took candy as well when they could get a hold of it. There wasn't anyone who needed to eat in this section of Rukongai except for him. Everyone that had any amount of spirit power had gotten out. Sosuke wished he had that ability. Instead he had to go days without food, until he could finally bring himself to steal from someone who was sick. Usually it was his 'friends' who brought him food.

His friends were odd people. There were three of them, all with faces that never seemed quite the same as before. They'd stop by when he was about to pass out from starvation, or when he had been beaten, and give him food or medical attention. He didn't even know their names. They usually said nothing to him, even when prompted. After he was patched up, they would stay a while and play among themselves. Finally, Sosuke decided to inquire of them.

"Who are you guys?"

Silence.

"How do you know when I'm hungry?" Though he supposed it was obvious. When he was hungry it was hard for him to hide, and therefore, he was usually beaten. He'd lay in some back alley, bloody and bruised, until his angels, as he'd come to know them, would bring him food and bandages. He came to realize that they were mute, and as such talked to them knowing that they wouldn't talk back.

"It's a different person every time." He said with a sigh one day, cleaning a rather deep wound with some of the water that his friends had brought him. "Most of the time I'm not even doing anything, I just can't get out of the way fast enough. Do you guys have that problem?"

A series of nods.

"Is that why you help me?"

More nodding.

Sosuke thought for a moment. "You guys…don't get hungry, do you?"

They shook their heads this time. Sosuke noticed that, though they often answered together, they had very separate ways of acting. The first one, a rather small boy with stringy hair, often instigated fights. The second one, a tall, heavyset boy, often rose to the second boy's provocations, fighting without words. The third one, about average height and weight was the one who usually pried them apart. Sosuke found that interesting, as the third boy was the most average looking of the group. The first and second boy each had defining characteristics (stringy hair, obesity), but the third was utterly indistinguishable. If he walked into a crowd, even if Sosuke knew exactly where he was, he would not find him again. But within him he carried such authority and power. While he seemed to not have the power to start things, he had the power to end them, which was scarier to Sosuke than anything else.

Somehow, Sosuke was frightened of them.

One night, he had received a beating that had been particularly painful, and the angels came to his aid. His mind shattered, he cried, "Why do you leave me? Why don't you stay?" The question had been on his heart for so long. He never saw his friends unless he had been beaten or starving. The rest of the time he was scared and alone, running from one rat hole to the next, desperate to live. He didn't like being alone. Sometimes he saw people walking together, albeit rarely, and he envied them so deeply that he felt murderous. Those times he had to force himself to calm down. He ached so badly for companionship that he could feel it in his blood, his bones, his core. "Why…."

Tears flowed down his face, and he wiped them away with a broken hand, caring not about the pain that shot up his arm like fire. It was nothing compared to the way his soul ached. "Why do you only show up when I'm beaten and broken? Why can't we stay together?"

The angels just watched him, their normal playful activities quieted. Then, the 2nd angel, the heavyset one, came forward and gently put his left hand on top of Sosuke's unbroken right one. His face betrayed no emotion, but for some reason, Sosuke felt infinitely better. He laid back, and caught, out of the corner of his eye, that the first angel was fingering something in his pocket. He leaned back, looking up at the sky. The stars were invisible with all the city's lights, but the moon shone bright as ever. "Let's never be apart, okay?"

There was no gesture of agreement, but he didn't press for one. He was afraid.


	3. Chapter 3: Sky

A/N: Wow, three chapters already. This story is taking wings and flying, fast. Thanks, those of you that are watching, it's really encouraging to me, and it gets me even more fired up to write this. For a while I've wondered what made Aizen the way he is, and I finally got off my ass to make the fan-fic about it. Anyway, this is chapter 3, Sky.

There's a lot of symbolism in this story, and hidden messages. Look deeper than the words.

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One day, his angels brought him back something special. It was a single, perfect flower that opened up like a beautiful star. It was pure white, and its center reached to the sky, as if it were trying to speak with heaven itself. Sosuke had never seen anything like it. He cradled it in his hands as if it were a fragile thing, as if it might disappear. "You're…giving this to me?"

The collective nod.

"…HEY!" The shout came from Sosuke's right, and he jumped to his feet as a reflex. "YOU GIVE THAT BACK!" The owner of the angry voice was a stout shopkeeper, his robes splattered with something that was suspiciously red.  
He was confused, but he knew better than to argue. He fled, holding the sacred flower close to his heart. Looking back, he saw that his angels hadn't moved at all. They simply watched the man pursuing him run by. Why wasn't the man chasing them? They were the ones who took the flower. It didn't make sense. Of course, since he was looking back instead of forward, he managed to run right into someone, smooshing the precious flower against his chest. An air of cologne enveloped him.

"Whoa!" The voice was deep, rumbly, and warm, like the sun peeking through the clouds after a particularly rainy day. "Watch out there, little guy." A friendly hand was placed on Sosuke's head.

He looked up and started to take in the man's face. All he managed to get was a flash of blue before the angry shopkeeper had caught up with him.

"HEY! You..!" The man stopped abruptly, and when Sosuke turned to look at him, he saw that he had stopped in shock. An expression of reverence and wonder enveloped his face. "Ah...I..."

"What seems to be the problem?" Sosuke once again looked up at the man, who, he now noticed, was wearing a peculiar set of black robes, over which was a white haori. "You seem pretty out of breath!" The man smiled good-naturedly, adding creases to his friendly face. His teeth where white, but not so white that they looked fake, and they were framed by bright blonde stubble. The man's hair was buzzed short, and his eyes were the purest sky blue.

"...That child stole something from me!"

"I did not!" Sosuke interjected hastily, not wanting to be seen as dishonest in front of this man. "My friends gave this flower to me!"

"Bullshit!!!" The shop keeper said, "I SAW you steal it, you little-"

"Enough, enough." The man reached into his pocket. "How much was this item that the child stole?"

"Eugh...what?"

"I said, how much was it?"

"...500 yen!" The man quickly and greedily lied.

"Fine." The stranger reached into his pockets and handed the man 500 yen, watching with a chuckle as the shopkeeper grabbed the money and ran off before he could change his mind. "Man...what a jerk, huh?" He looked down at Sosuke. "I hope that whatever you stole was worth that."

Sosuke was momentarily caught up in the honesty of the man's blue eyes. "Ah...."

"Oh, how rude of me. My name's Sky Seijitsu, but you can just call me Sei-san. Or Sky, if you want. I don't really care. It's all good."

"Ah...uhm...Sosuke." He said, sounding like an idiot.

"Sosuke-kun, huh? That's a fine name. Say...what did you steal from that man, anyway?"

"...I didn't steal anything...!" He said distressfully. "My friends..." He looked over his shoulder, but the angels were gone. "....they gave it to me..." He suddenly felt very alone.

"Alright, alright. Can I see what it was?"

Sosuke hugged the flower tightly to his chest protectively, looking away from the man. He couldn't show him. There was something personal about this flower, something fragile that might break if it was revealed. He quickly slipped it into his robes.

Sky noticed the kid's reluctance to show him the item, and studied the child carefully. Longish brown, slightly wavy hair. A slightly tanned complexion, as though he lived in the sun and was constantly tainted by it. Deep, untrusting brown eyes. Tattered robes that hung over a skinny frame. But there was something else. A strong spirit power, with so much untapped potential it almost took his breath away. "Say, kid..." He said carefully, "Are you hungry?"

Sosuke looked up sharply, and studied the lines of the man's handsome face. Was he hungry? Was he hungry?! "YES," He said, with such vehemence that his voice shook his own starving bones. "I'm....so hungry."

And then he began to cry.

***

"...So your friends are the ones that bring you food?" Sky asked, after he had seen to it that the boy had been thoroughly fed. He took another swig of sake, contemplating this interesting relationship. "And bandages?"

"Yeah," Sosuke said, a little sleepily, as he was full for the very first time in his life. "They started sticking around me a little more lately, but...I don't know where they went after they gave me...the item." He still didn't want to divulge what "the item" was. "That guy ran right past them like they weren't even there, even though he had to have seen them take it, or else he wouldn't have come running!"

"...Hmm. You know, I didn't see anyone like the boys you described in that alley, but I guess they'd gone by the time I looked."

"I guess..." Sosuke said a little sadly.

"You know," He said, "It seems pretty tough living here."

"It is..." Sosuke said quietly. "...The only way I can get food is if I take it from someone who is sick, and I can hardly bring myself to do that. Usually I starve until my friends bring me some."

"...You know," Sky said, "You don't have to live here."

"...Huh?" Sosuke looked up from fingering the flower inside his robes. "...I can't get out. All the other districts are too far away, and..."

"No, no, no." Sky waved his hands. "...Have you ever heard of shinigami?"

"Shinigami?" He shook his head.

"Shinigami are kind of like protectors. They take trips into the living world and fight against hollows, which are beasts that prey upon souls. It's a dangerous job, but it's exciting. Not only that, but shinigami get to live in the seiritei, a much nicer district. They have homes, food, water...everything is provided for them. It's a much better life than you'll find here."

Sosuke's eyes widened and he looked at Sky with excitement. "What....could I...could I really become a shinigami?!"

"Of course," He said. "You have absolutely remarkable power. I don't think I've ever seen such a powerful spirit force in such a young child. I think you'd easily make it into the shinigami academy, and you could probably even graduate as a seated officer."

He took this information in, or at least tried to. It was overwhelming. He could finally leave. He could go somewhere where he wouldn't be beaten every day. He could go somewhere where there would be food every day, water, maybe even a shower. "Would I...would I have my own bed?!"

Sky grinned. "Yes, yes you would."

He was sold. "What do I have to do?!"

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	4. Chapter 4: Mask

Though Sosuke returned to tell his angels what had transpired, he could not find them again. It was as though they had disappeared into thin air. He willed himself to be angry at them, but it would not happen. Instead he only felt sad at their departure, as though a small hole had opened up in his heart. He would have to rely on himself from now on.

With Sky's help, he enrolled in the shinigami academy immediately. Things were different here. Even more different than he thought it would be. It was hard to adjust to a specific schedule: wake up, eat, attend classes, sleep. People looked at him strangely, and teachers seemed to penalize him for no reason.

However, the most astonishing thing was the cleanliness of the place. Where Sosuke had come from, the streets were lined with trash and the rotting carcasses of stray animals. People lay desolate among piles of waste, and babies cried alone on the sidewalk. Here there were no rotting carcasses, pools of waste, or abandoned babies. The halls were immaculate and expertly designed. There were no violent fights. There was even the occasional piece of artwork.

The place was heaven. Absolute heaven. Sosuke had never been happier in all his life…then again…he had never been happy before.

"Aizen!"

At the mention of his name, he looked up from his schoolbook, which he had been studying at the teacher's behest. "Yes...?"

"Stop slouching!"

He was confused. "What...?" He blinked twice, sitting up.

"Don't smart off to me, or I'll give you a detention!" The teacher scowled heavily at him.

"I...apologize." There were snickers coming from all sides. Sosuke felt like dying from embarrassment. However, instead of dying, he looked down at the textbook, sure to keep his spine erect. He may have been embarrassed, but things like this happened often enough, and he had become a pro at hiding emotions.

Instances like this happened every day, and it hurt and confused him. Sky had promised him he would make friends, so where were they? Where were the comrades, the students that had come from backgrounds similar to his own? Perhaps they had been there once before, but had disappeared, like his angels.

However, this period in his life was like a new awakening. He was learning things about himself that he hadn't before. He learned that he was smart. Very, very smart. Things that professors spent weeks on, he would get in a day. Things his fellow students struggled with were absolutely no trouble to him. He had quickly been transferred to an advanced class, in which he was at the top. Perhaps that was why people disliked him? Did they envy him because he was smart? It wasn't his fault that everything came easy to him.

Still, he persevered, because his own talent excited him. He wanted to know more, become stronger, greater! He checked out books from the library on anything he could get his hands on that was related to his own power. He trained his body extra on the weekends instead of going home to the home he didn't have. He wanted to become a shinigami. He wanted to become a captain.

He wanted to become the greatest. Then, no one would laugh at him ever again.

**

Years came and passed, and still Sosuke waited. For what, he didn't know. He just knew he was waiting, and that whatever he was looking for would eventually find him.

Sosuke never forgot about Sky, or his honest blue eyes. He wondered how he was doing, what squad he was in, what new things had happened to him. He wondered if Sky had a home, as everyone but him seemed to. _What is a home, Sky?_

One day when Sosuke was training out in the back, Sky snuck up behind him. "Hi," He said cheerfully, obviously hoping to surprise him.

However, Sosuke knew that Sky had approached far before he had ever said anything. He was older now, a teenager, and he had been working on sensing reiatsu for a long time. "Hello, Seijitsu-san." His friend's formal name felt strange on his tongue, but he called him that anyway, as he had been instructed.

Sky frowned a little. "Aww, I was hoping to surprise you. I haven't seen you in years, Sosuke! Look at you! You're growing into a fine young man."

So he had. Sosuke's shoulders had become broad and defined, and his body had become taut and muscular. He was becoming taller, too; he supposed that at this point in time, he was about 5'10. His hair shone, and his smile was bright enough to light the room. Not a few women had been throwing glances his way lately. "Thank you," He said, flashing a bright smile. "You look the same."

So he did. His honest smile had not been tainted in the least. His blue eyes still looked like they went on forever. The five o'clock shadow had still stayed as such. His buzzed hair had not grown a single centimeter. His very presence filled Sosuke with a kind of warmth that nothing else could replicate.

He sheathed his zanpakutou and embraced the man warmly.

Sky returned his hug. They hugged as though they saw each other on a fairly regular basis, when in reality, this was the first time they'd seen each other since Sky dropped Sosuke off at the academy.

"What brings you to the academy?"

"They tell me you're doing well, and from the looks of it, I believe it."

"Ah, thank you. I am working hard to be the best I can be."

"I see that. How about we go out for a drink and catch up on old times?"

"I am a young man, Seijitsu-san and I have not any 'old times' quite yet."

Sky's jaw dropped open at the sheer polite audacity of the mark, and then burst into laughter. "Well, look at you!"

Inwardly, Sosuke was pleased. He smiled at his own cleverness. "I would be pleased to get a drink with you, Seijitsu-san."

"Call me Sky when it's just us," He dismissed with a wave of his hand, still laughing.

"Okay then, Sky," He said, relaxing a bit, "Let's go get a drink!"

---

Sosuke expected Sky to take him to a small, out of the way bar. So when they went to what seemed to be a large, boisterous nightclub, he was rather taken aback. "…Sky, what is this?" He inquired. He studied the building, which seemed to be nothing special. It was a simple black building that had a faded, white sign, upon which was painted in colorful letters: _The Masquerade._

"This, my friend, is _The Masquerade."_

And so Sky escorted the young man into the rather misleading building, and Sosuke's vision exploded with color. Masks. Everywhere, masks. There was not a single bare-faced person in the area, and as they waded through the crowd towards the bar, Sosuke felt their masked stares on him, and became very uncomfortable. "What _is_ this..?" He asked again, a bit timidly. He didn't understand the looks these women were giving him. Although he _was_ familiar with the way the men were looking at him…angrily.

Sky sighed and sat himself at the bar, a indistinct piece of black granite, and motioned for Sosuke to come over. When Sosuke sat next to him, the bartender (also wearing a mask) placed a large box in front of them, filled to the brim with vibrant color. "Pick one, Sosuke." Sky himself picked one near the top, one that was colored an electric blue, accented by yellow feathers. He slipped it over his head and, it seemed to Sosuke, immediately became indistinguishable among the crowd. Sosuke was apprehensive. He didn't want to become one of them.

"Come on," Sky prodded, "It'll be fun."

He still wasn't sure…

"It's just a mask, Sosuke."

Finally giving in to Sky's prodding, he rifled through the box. He didn't like all the color, and sought one less loud. Finally he found one that suited him- a black and white one that twisted to cover his whole face- near the bottom. He retrieved it, putting it on.

Immediately, everything changed.

Soon, the men's looks of anger subsided, and they went back to dancing with the colorful women. A pack of women seemed to slowly be approaching him, moving forward like lions before descending upon their prey. None of them made any sudden movements; as if afraid he would bolt. Sosuke was convinced that even if he ran, they would hunt him down. He was terrified.

Sky placed his hand reassuringly on his shoulder. "Don't be so scared, Sosuke," He said, though Sosuke inwardly wondered how he could tell emotions behind a mask. It was a skill he needed to learn, he thought absently, watching the lions creep ever closer. He wondered what they would do when they finally approached him. Would they eat him alive? Would they chase him? Or would they take him in, making them one of their own? Somehow, the last option scared him the most.

The one who reached him first had a deep red mask, covered in velvet that spiraled outward like a spider, constantly grasping. She slid in next to him. "Hi," She said, silky red lips parting, perfectly shaping the word, and every one thereafter, "I'm Arachne."

"Are you really?" Sosuke asked stupidly. He couldn't place how, but he knew the woman was lying, that that name was as false as her mask.

"Does it matter?" She asked, her voice deep and sultry, with a hidden rumble of laughter.

Sosuke supposed it didn't. "Then…"

"Dance," She said, interrupting him. She took his hand and hers was quite sticky, but somehow soft at the same time. She pulled him to his feet and they wove into the dance floor. Her movements were sleek and polished, her arms wrapping around him, trapping him. He didn't know what to do, how to move. His eyes were stuck on her mask, the rest of him paralyzed by fear.

When he thought he was about to lose consciousness from her constantly tightening grip, something pulled him out of her spidery grasp. Immediately he felt relief, warmth and care radiating from the person behind him.

"Sorry, Arachne, he's a bit new. I think maybe he should sit this one out.

Arachne made a noise that Sosuke would swear, later, was a rattling hiss. "But…"

But Sosuke was shuffled away quickly, by this man that so easily towered over and protected him. He was led through the door and when he reached the blessed outside air, he took off the mask like it was on fire and threw it to the ground.

"Geeze, Sosuke," Sky said, "Don't you know how to dance?"


End file.
